What Do we really know about the 2013 Aero Regs?

[Tozza Mazza]

Hi all.
I can't wait to see the new aerodynamic rules, as a keen fan, and am unsure as to what we really know so far. Could anyone shed any light? All I could find on here was fanboy arguments over whether changes will be good/bad.
Thanks, TM.

[Tozza Mazza]

This is a compilation of what we've found so far, Please add more.

* 'certainly the underfloor was going to produce more downforce, while the nose tip will be lower, something like 17cm off the reference plane…' Scarbs F1 Blog.

* 'Up to 80% of total downforce could be generated by the floor alone' somewhere on F1T, can't remember.

* 'Chassis height limited to 550mm' (2012, possible further reduction, this is at 1000mm in front of cockpit entry template). source : FIA regs

* A far greater proportion of the total downforce of the cars will be created by the underfloor, compared to the wings;

* A major reduction in the amount of total downforce created by the car;

* To achieve this, the underfloor of the cars will be shaped along its length to generate downforce for the first time since the 1982 season - currently cars have bottoms that are flat between the wheels;

* The average proportion of a lap that a driver is able to spend on full throttle to be cut from 70% in 2010 to 50% in 2013;

* Front wings will be raised by 75mm and width reduced by 120mm and all appendages put on the top of the wing be banned, think back to when the current wings were brough out in 2008 post season testing by McLaren and Honda.

* Nosecones must be lowered by 200mm to aid the drivers visibility.

* Rear wings will largely remain the same.

* Diffusers will have a standardized central profile in the middle 250mm

* A Standardized KERS/HERS system will be made available for the first time.

* The goal is to reduce the downforce levels by 60% on current levels, but in reality this will be to 40% of present by the time the 2013 cars roll out.

* Spec fuel tanks will be supplied, and all cars must be full with fuel to within a +/- of 5KG at the start of the race of around 850Kg and be at minimum 700Kg for the end of the race.

* Wheels will be increased to 19" so to make tire technology similar to LMS and road tires.

* Tires are rumored to be 3 spec compounds at each race, with 2 hard, 3 medium and 4 softs per weekend usage, and 4 sets of wet and inters, one set of wets will be in parc ferme for the race from the start of the weekend for each car.

Sources: * http://www.vivaf1.com/viewtopic.php?t=2370
* http://scarbsf1.wordpress.com/
* http://twitter.com/#!/scarbsf1
* http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.ns ... 2-2010.pdf

[N12ck]

I have found these :


Much smaller front and rear wings;

* A far greater proportion of the total downforce of the cars will be created by the underfloor, compared to the wings;

* A major reduction in the amount of total downforce created by the car;

* To achieve this, the underfloor of the cars will be shaped along its length to generate downforce for the first time since the 1982 season - currently cars have bottoms that are flat between the wheels;

* The average proportion of a lap that a driver is able to spend on full throttle to be cut from 70% in 2010 to 50% in 2013;

* Tyres will remain large and chunky to ensure cornering speeds remain high.

source: http://www.vivaf1.com/viewtopic.php?t=2370

[volarchico]

How is the "average 50% full throttle" rule going to work? Can they use 99% throttle for the other 50%?

[Tozza Mazza]

I think the aim is to make driver ability more important, at current, on average the driver has his foot all the way down 70% of the time. In 2013, they want it to be 50%, meaning throttle control in the corners will be more important/difficult.

[volarchico]

My small mind is having a hard time wrapping itself around the idea of reducing the driver throttle input. What actions would the 2013 regs take to actually make this happen?

[Tozza Mazza]

reduced Downforce levels in general with harder to drive cars i guess

[horse]

Yes, one can only assume that they mean to make engine power as important as aerodynamic downforce. At the moment the amount of downforce on the car allows the driver to operate at full power for 70% of the lap. Reducing the overall downforce will reduce the speed that corners can be taken at and thus reduce the amount of time on full power.

Considering that the engines will be dropping in power in 2013 also, are we looking at a target lap time at about 60% of current?

[wrigs]

* The average proportion of a lap that a driver is able to spend on full throttle to be cut from 70% in 2010 to 50% in 2013

This sounds incredibly stupid in my opinion. A 30% reduction in the amount of time spent on full throttle? That is somewhere near a 2,5x increase in the time spent off full throttle. It literally doesn't make any sense at all.

[Tozza Mazza]

I remember reading the new engines would have the same peak power output of around 750bhp,but with 250bhp all wheel KERS. As it's turbo, throttle will be more sensitive i guess.

[N12ck]

i wonder if the turbochargers will be regulated, if they arent, some fancy things could be done,

[Tozza Mazza]

The FIA would be dim not to regulate them. I think compounding will be banned for a few seasons before it is legalised around 2015, not that i know anything about F1 engines, apart from engine basics. What I really wanna know is what the cars will look like and how they'll perform aerodynamically.

[ESPImperium]

* Front wings will be raised by 75mm and width reduced by 120mm and all appendages put on the top of the wing be banned, think back to when the current wings were brough out in 2008 post season testing by McLaren and Honda.

* Nosecones must be lowered by 200mm to aid the drivers visibility.

* Rear wings will largly remain the same.

* Diffusers will have a standardised centre profile in the middle 250mm

* A Standardised KERS/HERS system will be made avalable for the first time.

* The goal is to reduce the downforce levels by 60% on current levels, but in reality this will be to 40% of present by the time the 2013 cars roll out.

* Spec fuel tanks will be supplied, and all cars must be full with fuel to within a +/- of 5KG at the start of the race of arround 850Kg and be at minimum 700Kg for the end of the race.

* Wheels will be increased to 19" so to make tire technology simmilar to LMS and road tires.

* Tires are rumored to be 3 spec compounds at each race, with 2 hard, 3 medium and 4 softs per weekend usage, and 4 sets of wet and inters, one set of wets will be in parc ferme for the race from the start of the weekend for each car.

The ideal is to get the cars to be overpowered for the downforce they produce to make the drivers drive and not rely on aero to get grip from the tires to sort out their cars now.

[machin]

This bit seems unnecessary don't you think?

* Spec fuel tanks will be supplied, and all cars must be full with fuel to within a +/- of 5KG at the start of the race of arround 850Kg and be at minimum 700Kg for the end of the race.

Surely a minimum weight in qualifying and at the end of the race is sufficient? -That would promote trying to be as efficient as possible with the fuel (to try and start with as little as possible)?

[Fil]

Seeing as thought the OP is asking specifically for what we REALLY know, perhaps it would be a smart idea to provide a source for the information you all post here. Like N12ck did.

Otherwise this is merely another topic of second-hand rumours and personal hopes & wishes.